Persistent thrush

[Ktrice1994]

Can anyone recommend any treatment for my old horse who is in otherwise excellent health but has persistent low to medium level thrush? He has been treated through our vet with (at various times over the months) purple spray, hibiscrub, iodine, and antibiotics. He has also been shod recently with bar shoes to stop his heels moving, though I'm not sure this has helped.
He is now not happy with the iodine treatment as it is quite aggressive and I do not want to make him sore.
He is out by day, in by night on straw. We are on heavy clay so the land does get muddy at this time of year, but I understand it is important to get him out and moving.
Does anyone have experience of SBS Thrush Stop?
Any advice gratefully received!

 

[LD&S]

Cider vinegar added to feed and sprayed on often helps

 

[googol]

Mine also had persistent thrush, and I seem to have got on top of it using the red horse products (well my friend has on my behalf as I've been out of action!) I think it's the field paste that worked best as it's like a putty and is literally pushed right up inside the affected area so works from inside out. My farrier said the ingredients look simple but effective too, and not too harsh
If this didn't work I was going to seriously consider removing his shoes for a bit to let everything work as it should, I'm not sure how bar shoes will help thrush. I had tried everything else including some harsh remedies
I am definitely no expert so can't advise but you prob also need to look at his diet

 

[PoppyAnderson]

In short - get him out of those god awful shoes and get the poor sod barefoot, feed a low sugar diet, exercise regime, get an excellent barefoot trimmer on board and use red horse products. Happy to elaborate and advise on all this properly if you want to understand more.

 

[SusieT]

I'd change the straw personally- I'd bet the bedding is much of the problem.
And have had good success with hydrogen peroxide- ask your vet for strengths

 

[VikingSong]

Anything I would have suggested already has been, so I'll suggest that it might be wise to change his bedding to wood pellets. Straw and a thrushy horse does not make for a good union no matter how well the bed is managed, in my opinion.

 

[Tyssandi]

Can anyone recommend any treatment for my old horse who is in otherwise excellent health but has persistent low to medium level thrush? He has been treated through our vet with (at various times over the months) purple spray, hibiscrub, iodine, and antibiotics. He has also been shod recently with bar shoes to stop his heels moving, though I'm not sure this has helped.
He is now not happy with the iodine treatment as it is quite aggressive and I do not want to make him sore.
He is out by day, in by night on straw. We are on heavy clay so the land does get muddy at this time of year, but I understand it is important to get him out and moving.
Does anyone have experience of SBS Thrush Stop?
Any advice gratefully received!

have you tried engemycin http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Engemycin-Spray-200ml-POM/Productinfo/ENGEMYCS/

 

[Orangehorse]

Stop the agressive products. They kill the tissues and give the fungus something to feed on and set up a never ending cycle. The Red Horse products are good.

I had a pony with thrush and sprayed dilute borax solution on it, it took while but succeeded in the end, but I'm not sure if you can still get borax easily. And our fields are clay and my horses are bedded on straw ............

Go onto the Red Horse website and see what you think would be the best things to try.

 

[VikingSong]

Unless straw has changed in the last twenty years, it isn't nearly as absorbent as wood pellets. I do agree that, with good treatment, you can be succesful at treating thrush on a horse bedded on straw, but on wood pellets it would have taken half the time.

 

[Cortez]

Have you had him tested for Cushings? Always a possibility with older horses, and it can be the cause of various persistent infections. I also second Red Horse products; they really work.

 

[Ktrice1994]

Have you had him tested for Cushings? Always a possibility with older horses, and it can be the cause of various persistent infections. I also second Red Horse products; they really work.

Yes I have - he doesn't have cushings. Thank you everyone for all your help and advice! I'll be looking on the Red Horse products website!

 

[ohmissbrittany]

The more his heels are allowed to move, the less likely thrush will find a stagnant crevice to set up shop.

 

[Taliesan]

I second the red horse products. I am using field paste to treat my horse's thrush and it is working well. The guy who trims my horse's feet recommended putting salt in his central sulcus. So I stand him at the yard with salt pressed into his frogs and then block it in with field paste. It is working a treat.

Agree about the shoes though - they may actually make the thrush worse! You want the foot to be active and moving so the tissue is stimulated and can start to regenerate.

 

[Ktrice1994]

In short - get him out of those god awful shoes and get the poor sod barefoot, feed a low sugar diet, exercise regime, get an excellent barefoot trimmer on board and use red horse products. Happy to elaborate and advise on all this properly if you want to understand more.

Thank you. As he has crumbly hooves that need support, going barefoot is sadly not an option. He is also regularly exercised (and looks fantastic) - hoping to look at some red horse products too!

 

[be positive]

Thank you. As he has crumbly hooves that need support, going barefoot is sadly not an option. He is also regularly exercised (and looks fantastic) - hoping to look at some red horse products too!

If he has crumbly hooves and thrush then rather than putting on different potions to try and cure the thrush look at why his feet are in such poor condition in the first place which is usually due to the diet being unsuitable, healthy feet start from having a healthy diet and until the feet are strong then you will probably continue to fight a losing battle with the thrush.
Shoes will not support the feet and may make matters worse long term, I am not saying you have to go barefoot as not everyone wants to, has the time or inclination but every horse can benefit from a decent diet with low sugar and starch.

 

[Ktrice1994]

If he has crumbly hooves and thrush then rather than putting on different potions to try and cure the thrush look at why his feet are in such poor condition in the first place which is usually due to the diet being unsuitable, healthy feet start from having a healthy diet and until the feet are strong then you will probably continue to fight a losing battle with the thrush.
Shoes will not support the feet and may make matters worse long term, I am not saying you have to go barefoot as not everyone wants to, has the time or inclination but every horse can benefit from a decent diet with low sugar and starch.

He's currently on a low sugar/starch diet and his hooves are not particularly well made (in terms of conformation rather than being poor due to the diet) so we are looking at several changes to his routine. Thank you for your advice.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

He's currently on a low sugar/starch diet and his hooves are not particularly well made (in terms of conformation rather than being poor due to the diet) so we are looking at several changes to his routine. Thank you for your advice.

Poor foot conformation is not set in stone. It can be vastly improved by the right regime. You will NEVER achieve that with shoes on and particularly not any kind of remedial shoes. No matter what any vet or farrier tells you. If he's got crumbly feet, you NEED to sort his regime out and fast. What do you feed him currently? If you open up a bit and open your mind up a bit, I guarantee people on here will help you and you will transform your horses feet. I GAURANTEE it!

 

[MasterBenedict]

I battled thrush for 3 years in my boy, as soon as I though I'd got rid it returned almost immediately after trying so many products!

Have FINALLY got completely on top of it by using a small syringe to apply pure 100% eucalyptus oil daily for about 3 weeks and now just do it a couple of times a week as a preventative.

Cheap and definitely effective!!

 

[FFAQ]

Mine also had persistent thrush, and I seem to have got on top of it using the red horse products (well my friend has on my behalf as I've been out of action!) I think it's the field paste that worked best as it's like a putty and is literally pushed right up inside the affected area so works from inside out. My farrier said the ingredients look simple but effective too, and not too harsh
If this didn't work I was going to seriously consider removing his shoes for a bit to let everything work as it should, I'm not sure how bar shoes will help thrush. I had tried everything else including some harsh remedies
I am definitely no expert so can't advise but you prob also need to look at his diet

This! I have never had a horse that didn't improve with red horse products. I also encourage my clients to soak/scrub their horses feet in diluted Milton (1 cap:5l water) twice a week for 10-15 minutes if soaking, or every other day if scrubbing. The thrush usually disappears within trims then. Diluted Milton is strong enough to kill the thrush, but mild enough that it won't kill 'good' cells and also won't hurt if the thrush has eaten into the sensitive frog. There is a good video on the Equine Podiatry Association UK's facebook page showing how to floss through the central sulcus and apply red horse hoof stuff to treat the thrush.https://www.facebook.com/equinepodiatryassociation/?fref=ts

 

[ponypatters]

Hi there, would also say RedHorse Field Paste great, Athletes Foot Spray and Cider Vinegar all good at combating thrush, use one at a time though, not altogether

Athletes foot spray is a quick remedy to help beat it back initially for a few days, then you could try the field paste and salt baths will help thereafter

 

[Horse Shoe Mountings]

Hi.
I have been working on various remedies for horse shoe health.
Below is a quote from my Facebook page. I would use potassium permanganate for cleaning and sterilisation. Again take note that this will stain.

"Equine Health.
If your horse/ pony does not wear shoes in fact even if they do I have another disease preventing or treatment remedy.

Pine Resin. All you do is warm it up though you can put a spot of a solvent in and paint it on though try keep this minimal. For under hoof only. Don't paint the outer hoof wall. Wash the hoof and dry as much as possible.
Equally you can mix fine copper/ silver salts in to the mix. This is superior to over the counter sprays or liquids solutions as it will not wash off, well not easily. Equally should the hoof be punctured at anytime you have an anti disease coating present. I would recommend coating once per week.

This sap is produced by the tree to kill pathogens including fungal, bacterial and viral infections. It's a no brainier

Just try not to get yourself in a sticky mess

Take note you can buy pine resin Cedar is best. Though most have the required properties."

I won't post links directly here so might I ask you look up the medical uses of such resins/ rosins.

Good luck with whatever action you take.

Matt